Losing
by hurrrrrr
Summary: Alternate ending to The Hunger Games, as if I am rewriting Catching Fire. What Katniss sparked when she took out those berries catches fire and results in a full-blown rebellion. Losing would be painful, but the pain of doing nothing is worst of all.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: omfg, my first story in this section! Yaaaaay! Katniss and Peeta are two characters I hold close to my heart and THG is just so perfect.**_

_**What Katniss said about no victors being worse than 2, got me thinking. And here we go. Slight Peeta/Katniss, some OC/Gale. Just read on and you'll see.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: THG IS NOT MINE**_

Losing would be painful.

Sure, if I ate these nightlock, it would all end for me. They would be forced down into my stomach by my own saliva and then they'd kill me, and I'd fall to the ground and be dead. Not that much pain for me, really. But I had a family to think about, didn't I?

No. My dad would be okay. He could easily keep on selling his bread and my brothers could help him. It was that simple. My mother? Well, it had been evident she thought Katniss would win anyway.

So would it really be painful? I pondered. Would Katniss mourn for me? Would she stoop at my body like I assume she did Rue? The berries were in my hand, and what came next I wouldn't know. My hands were dirty and cut, and I'm sure my face looked no different. I want to be me when I die, I told her. But this person was far from myself.

I had done it. I'd got far beyond my own expectations. But it wasn't because of myself. It was because of the girl in front of me, one Katniss Everdeen, and I owed so much more to her than a few measly burnt pieces of bread.

If one of us was to be a victor, it would have to be her.

"On the count of three." She muttered the words in such a neutral tone I lifted my head to meet her eyes. The look said something, I couldn't read it. Was she really going to take the berries? If she was, I wasn't going to do any less.

Losing would be painful, but the pain of doing nothing is much worse.

Isn't that what my father used to tell me?

"Peeta, you can't just hold those loaves near the oven! Put them in," His father had explained gently to a very confused 6-year-old Peeta Mellark. He looked up at his father's taller figure and blinked.

"But won't it hurt them?" The question earned a hearty laugh from his father, a rare occurrence in the bakery. He took his son by the shoulders and gave them a tight squeeze, almost knocking him over.

"Peeta, boy, think about it. The dough…well, it might feel pain for just a moment, but then it'll be all over, right? It'll rise and become a nice loaf of bread, and although it'll lose its, err, dough-ness, it'll feed someone and make them happy. And if it doesn't, well, there will be families out there starving just because it hasn't did its job right. And that's said. Sure, losing is painful, but…doing nothing is a lot worse." And as a small boy, he managed to smile, because he finally understood._ I_ understood.

Pain wasn't a stranger to me, but I knew that if I ate these nightlock berries, although I may feel no pain, some people would, wouldn't they?

And then, I thought about something. The Hunger Games, they've been going on for 74 years. About 23 people die every single year, with the exception of the bending of the rules at the quarter quells. 74 x 23…I tried to sum that up in my head, but I shook it off. Even one person being killed in such horrible conditions made me sick to the stomach. What would one more matter? Then Katniss could be a victor. She'd be much more missed than me. Unless.

"One." I was snapped from my thoughts by Katniss steadily counting us down to my end - our end. I could tell now she was going to do it. I levelled the berries with my chest, taking a deep breath.

"Two." I looked at Katniss, exchanging silent words. I blinked, and then without giving it much though, mouthed the words I love you.

And I had an idea by now, not entirely, but somehow, that she wasn't in love with me. What Haymitch said back at the arena after the interviews, it just put me off the idea she loved me completely. But why did she go and get the blood poisoning antidote for me? Why did she save me?

And, to my surprise, she did the same back, turning the corners of her lips up slightly. And then her mouth opened completely, and I took a shaky breath outwards.

"Three." And without even thinking, I shoved every single berry into my mouth. In front of me, Katniss had done the same.

"STOP! STOP!" The booming voice of Caesar Flickerman made me jump, but I had already began to swallow the nightlock. Just as Katniss said, dizziness came over me. Right away I felt the effects of the berries, and a searing pain shot up my throat, almost unbearable.

Almost.

As my eyelids drooped shut, I gripped Katniss' hand, and we fell to the ground, motionless.

I knew then, as we drifted off into a slumber that we would never wake from, that there was no victor, therefore there would be absolutely no point in the Games. Things would change, and they would change pretty quickly.

I made a silent wish to my father and brothers and even Gale that they would lead our district into a fight for revenge on the manipulation of tributes in the arena, and, in turn, district 11 for Katniss' bond with Rue, on and on until every district replaced that hope in their district returning with a victor with the hope of freedom.

The pain I felt with those nightlock was absolutely nothing.

_**Bless you all for reading! Short and sweet. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Bless you lovelies who took time to favourite this story/me/review! :')**

**So basically this is somewhat AU and not-so-canon but hey, everything after Katniss holding the berries has been AU! It's AU because it's my version of events if Peeta and Katniss had of taken the berries.**

**Also, I didn't want this story to play too much on romance and more on the rebellions and whatever so I excluded all Gale's lovey-dovey feelings towards Katniss and I suppose he's a little smitten by Katrina but they can become lovers elsewhere lol~**

**SOOOOOOOO, drumroll...my OC, Katrina! **

**Her story is basic; father fishes from a lake discovered in the district, knows Katniss from school/trading, knows Gale from trading, mother and father know Haymitch so they request she helps him and she does so they meet and blah blah blah...**

**DISCLAIMER: THG is not mine!**

Haymitch Abernathy stood almost proudly against the window overlooking the Capitol. A dry mouth was not helped by the swig of champagne he took every now and again. Below him the city was abuzz. The hot sun bore down, although no one seemed interested. It sickened him, standing above them all and watching them get on with their day, that they could do just that. The authorities had them nice and comfortable in their beautiful city while the whole of his district cried for the lost tributes that could have won the games. That pissed Haymitch off the most. The girl was smart. The boy liked the girl. One of them could have easily did something so that the other became victor. His shaking hands tightened their grip around the wine glass and he zoned out, looking off into the distance to where his home would be waiting. He barely noticed the door slide open and Cinna step in.

"Phone." Haymitch turned around to meet Cinna's brief troubled gaze. He handed him the portable handset without a word and stood with his hands clasped.

"Haymitch speaking." There was silence on the line, as if the person on the other end was questioning the truth in the statement. Then they spoke.

"It's Katrina. Madge let me use her phone. You OK?" The voice he heard calmed him.

"Yeah, great," he said curtly. "Enough of the greetings, though, how's everyone back home? You all still…working?" He had to choose his words carefully because he had no doubt in his mind that this phone call was bugged and he or Katrina could be arrested at any time.

Katrina was a teenager from Katniss' school – and class, for that matter – whose father managed to start up a fishing business from a lake discovered in the district. Because she was well off compared to most people in the seam – including Katniss herself – she had helped the kids there and became close to Katniss and Gale when she had begun trading them fish for the game they brought her. She had gave Primrose and Mrs Everdeen all the fish she could while Katniss was gone and even volunteered to help Gale hunt. She knew Haymitch through bringing fish to him in Victor's Village whenever he requested it – and often stayed to chat with him, because between bouts of drunken shouting, swearing, falling or even just sleeping – Haymitch was a pretty okay guy. She didn't have The Seam look – grey eyes – her eyes were very blue, something Haymitch took note of. Her hair, however, was a chestnut colour, contrasting completely with her eyes. Haymitch had come to trust her after she had many's a time rescued him from those times when he was in and out of drunken bouts and could easily have choked and died. He knew she would understand what he meant.

"Business as usual," she replied, confirming his disappointment. "But as of tomorrow the Peacekeepers are giving them relief from their work in the mines. My father's taking the week off too, so I don't know what to do with myself." That meant she wasn't sure what her next move was going to be in regards to the sparks of rebellion that had been flying around.

"You and Gale should just relax. Chat with people around town; see what they're up to. Perhaps you could do some fishing?" He meant to check the status of the people in town until he got back. "I'll be home in three to four days, probably. They're sending me on the fasted train in three days' time. It's twice the speed, isn't that wonderful?" He could almost hear Katrina sniggering on the end of the line.

"Fantastic. Oh, Capitol inventions sure are swell. See you then. And go easy on the champagne." The line went dead, and Haymitch turned to see the grin resting on Cinna's face.

"The girl knows you well," he commented. Haymitch threw the phone to him and rolled his eyes.

"Like a daughter." He didn't bother withholding a smile. "A very annoying one, but a daughter all the same."

"Gale!"

The urgent wail of his name made said 18-year-old spin around in curiosity. Through the trees, he could see Katrina waving her arms at him. She didn't seem hurt, so he took his time strolling to her, trying to clear his head. Katniss was now officially gone. In 3 months, he would be off to the mine to work for a living and Katrina had promised to continue hunting for his family and Katniss'. But he had barely any time to think about her death because Katrina had approached him halfway through the Games and asked him about his thoughts on doing something about the Capitol. But he had barely any time to think about her death because Katrina had approached him halfway through the Games and asked him about his thoughts on doing something about the Capitol. Upon hearing her reasoning – and her plans – he agreed to help, and here he was today.

"Look, Gale. Look at this. It's in Katniss' book…oh." Realising she had said Katniss' name, the one person she wanted to see right now, made her lip quiver. She missed her so – the quips she would make about her father's fish, the trading, that sense of satisfaction she seemed to get whenever Katrina smiled at her. For someone so quiet in school she said a lot to Katrina – which surprised her greatly, because if you were looking for someone to talk to, Katniss Everdeen would not be top of your list. Their similar names meant that whenever in Alphabetical order by forename, she got the chance to chat to Katniss in school – ultimately, she realised, Katniss had become a very good friend of hers. She only regretted not visiting her after the reaping – although she knew she couldn't face her friend's grim face as that same face would be the one on her TV, struggling to survive.

"Hey, it's okay," Gale replied soothingly, putting a hand on her shoulder, but they both knew it wasn't okay. "What were you going to show me?" Katrina gave a sigh, trying to push Katniss to the subconscious part of her mind, and focused on the drawings in front of her, pointing one out.

"Nightlock, see?" Gale nodded. He did see. He saw it on the screen when Katniss ate it. He saw it in his dreams, or nightmares, because ultimately he had lost his best friend. "What…what they had." There was no need to elaborate on 'they'.

"Yeah…so?" Katrina rolled her eyes in exasperation "What? I don't see your point."

"Look here, at this. Now…" She chose her next words carefully, fiddling with her thumbs. "Think back to the final scenes at the arena." Gale was still confused. As much as he hated to think back, he replayed the final scene again to himself. Then, looking back to the page, it hit him right up the face.

"Of course! So, you think…" They were in the part of the woods that wasn't blocked off by fence, near to the lake where Katrina's father fished, so he said no more. Instead he leaned in close to her ear and whispered it, harshly but almost silently so no one nearby could pick up. Katrina smiled.

"Yes! That's exactly what I think. I don't know, though, but…come on, it was as clear as day. Perhaps it was Katniss' final message." They started to get excited about the prospect of what they had just discussed, and Gale snapped the book closed, standing up and shaking out his legs before offering Katrina a hand and stood as she did the same. They needed to tell Haymitch now, before anything else happened, but there was no way they could get the message through via phone. He wouldn't be back for another three days, so there was only one thing left to do…

And then off they went to prepare for their journey to the Capitol.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Blesssss you all with your favourites and even the review3 It's for you I write! God, this took ages. Lord only knows I spent aaaaages at it, but here we are...take note of all the references to Katrina's past. This chapter is kinda Katrina-centric, because I feel you all don't know her enough. And I sort of have to introduce Finnick and Annie somehow, and that's why there's a story about them. T for swearing.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: THG IS NOT MINE! **_

"You."

The sharp, short call of a voice that everyone knew well could be heard from the other side of the town square. It was Cray, the head peacekeeper. Katrina grimaced as she made her way towards him, slowly and cautiously. She knew what he was like.

"Come here, girl. Come here." She tried not to look at him.

Cray was known for his way with woman – how he lured them to his house in exchange for food, money, anything they wanted. She found this disgusting – not on the girls' parts, she understood that survival wasn't always easy – but on his part. It sickened her to think that he had only helped for a hefty price. She edged closer to him, looking behind her to see if she could spot Gale, but he was nowhere to be found.

"You here for-" He was almost immediately cut off.

"No," she spat, almost a little too hastily. Then she composed herself. "Not for food. But I'm on duty to help with the Justice Building today. Any chance of giving me something to do?"

Every so often a few able bodied people were selected to help keep the justice building in order; fix a few stones, shine the marble steps, set up a stage if necessary. She had volunteered, because she knew what she could do when she had got there. Gale had volunteered also, and they knew they would do the work in half the time that someone else could, especially working together. It also meant fathers and mothers could spend those precious few hours working to earn money instead of trying to fix up some sad, pathetic building that nobody paid attention to anyways. But even so, Cray smiled.

"I can get you out of duty if you want, if you pay me." He licked his lips and she couldn't help but shudder. She was used to dealing with disgusting beings; seeing that fake face of President Snow plastered across screens in District 13 all her life was enough disgust. She backed away slightly, because she genuinely didn't know how to take Cray. She could fight the Peacekeeper off easily, sure, but he had that quality, the one that made you freeze where you stood and follow him only with your eyes. In the few stumbling steps she took backwards she managed to collide with someone behind her.

"No thanks. We'll just head over to the building." Gale's strong voice gave her a huge wash of relief. She turned to him, gripping his jacket tightly, because Cray was starting to stare them out, and they headed over to the justice building, gave their names and began working on fixing up a bit of wall that had fallen. There wasn't much to fix today, and Gale wagered they could be done in ten minutes, which was long enough. They began working straight away, lifting the fallen wall closer to the building. Here in the middle of the town square, where the Peacekeepers huddled around and came to check their progress, they weren't safe to talk about their plans or what they would do now that they were at the Justice Building or who they could trust, so they worked in silence for a while before Gale spoke up.

"So…how're you doing?" he asked simply. There wasn't much to say, really, apart from their plans, which they couldn't discuss. There was actually plenty to talk about as they were relatively out of earshot and anyone hearing those details if they coded them wasn't a breach of District security, but to be honest they were things Gale would rather bring up in private. About what they would do now that their lives had changed. How he would tell Hazelle about his status as a soldier in District 13. How either of them would give up their lives without second thought if it meant Snow could be defeated and life in District 12 would change for the better, so that no starving tummies rumbled at night, no father forced down to the depths of the earth in a stomach churning journey not knowing if they would make it out alive 6 days a week for 12 hours a day. Even little things they both wondered, like if they would ever be killed to save each other, or how the other felt about the change in roles. Katrina had gone from a friend to the only person he could trust, bar his family and hers. Gale had gone from the boy her friends talked about, giggled about, the one who often gave her fresh meat for a lob of fish and who chattered to her, to the person she had went to immediately when Haymitch had told her to find someone to stick with, who she and her father had poured out every secret to because she had to. It was hard to consider that he could betray her at any moment, so she just went of trusting him with her life. She didn't care if he blurted all her secrets out and she was killed. It was the idea that her family could suffer - and her father had told her this frequently when she was a child.

"The less you know," he had said, "The better."

"How so?" she had replied, because she didn't see his point.

"It...it just is, okay?" She didn't question the look in his eyes.

But now she understood. If she was taken away by the Capitol, they would not keep her once they found out she knew nothing. But she DID know something, a lot, actually, and that could be her downfall. They wouldn't simply kill her then. This is why she had begged Gale to kill her on that sunny day all those months before, when she knew she needed someone to confide in had the opportunity arose for a rebellion; someone who was strong enough to handle the idea of being a rebel yet smart and quick enough to be able to evacuate District 12 if needed. That's when she had told him everything. They were outside Haymitch's house in Victor's Village. Haymitch had left her the key as he had went into town to buy more liquor and she had gathered everything he left for her from his house, like he often did, but Gale had went after her to question her, because he had noticed her flitting in and out of his house recently. He pondered the fact she may have been illegally trained by him if her name had ever been reaped, but now he he wasn't so sure. She had been meaning to speak to Gale anyway, so this had came as the perfect time. And only after she had told him everything about the rebels and District 13, she had asked him to kill her. Gale only laughed at her, which angered her, because he didn't understand.

"If...if the Capitol find me, which they will, because they'll find out about my father, they'll discover I'm friends with you, and that I'm the daughter of a rebel. They won't catch him, he's too smart. They won't catch me, because I know everything they do and more. That may sound cocky, but I do. I know where to hide. I know how to prevent myself from being found. I know because I've been training all my life. Think of me as a Career Rebel. I'm not...well, I'm fairly unreachable. If I was captured, though, it would be horrible. I'd rather not live. There's one reason." But Gale had only shook his head.

"Not good enough. You said yourself, you're fairly unreachable."

"But...Gale, you don't understand, do you? I've made a stupid mistake telling you about all this. Once they find out I'm friends with you, a boy from my district who breaks laws on a daily basis, they'll find you. And they'll make you tell them everything you know about me and my family. I'm not worried about you telling them anything, because I'd understand if you did. It's what may happen to you. The blame of that would be on my shoulders. They may even do the same to my father if I make a stupid mistake and am found, then he would surely step into my place and he'd have to tell them everything about me and my whereabouts as well as all he knows. If you...Gale, if you kill me now, you can pretend you know nothing, and my father will have nothing left to protect. Kill me and be done with it."

"Katrina, haven't you ever considered the fact that you're all that District 12 has right now in terms of rebellion? This place," Gale said, motioning across the empty streets of Victor's Village. "This place is empty apart from Haymitch, and he isn't much of a rebel with all the drinking he does. Your father is a great rebel, but he is not among the younger ones who could lead Panem into freedom from the Capitol with their kids born in a new generation. He has already had a child, you, whose been corrupted by the Capitol. No offense. We all have. But you, you can train me. You can tell me all I need to know, and take me to District 13. I've been training to hunt in the woods my whole life, too. There's not much more they can teach, but I'll listen if there's anything to learn. I need you to do that for me. Without you, any hopes of rebellion in this District will die out. I can't just stroll to District 13 and say 'Hey, I know about the rebellion, tell me all your secrets.' Your father certainly won't trust me if I stick an arrow through your head and then go and ask him to take me there. Think, Katrina. I need you as much as you need me." Gale lifted the arrow and flung it far away, as if Katrina was just about to lift it and put it through her head herself. She thought about what he said for a minute or two, then nodded, a little unsure at first, but then gave a solid, resolute nod. He was right, but how could she aid the rebellion? A 16 year old who could barely scare a cat away?

"I guess so," she said, standing up. "You may as well meet my father now. Just in case anything does arise, and we're needed, and you're not clued in on how it works." And that was that. Gale Hawthorne was now a soldier.

"You have an _awful_ habit of doing that," came the same voice from that day many months ago. She snapped from her daydream to look at Gale. "You zone out and don't listen to me. I said, are you okay?" That was probably her weakest point. she often lived in the past, and it was a stupid thing for a rebel to do. She'd have to learn to suck it up and move on.

"I'm good, I guess," she replied, finally focusing on where she was slapping the cement on the stones. "Glad to be fixing this building up. Wouldn't want us to be embarrassed by the state of the place." This made Gale snigger because in reality, no amount of fixing of this old building could improve the living conditions in 12. Gale was about to ask her something when a peacekeeper they knew well, Jant, appeared in front of them and smiled. He often traded their game for some coins or perhaps even just a few supplies from the Justice Building. He was pretty easygoing and it was obvious he hated his job, because he never really reprimanded people or did much. He was brought up in two, though, so he had been put into the position of Peacekeeper when he was very young.

"Alright, you two?" he asked, leaning on the piece of stone they were ready to lift into the gap in the wall and narrowly avoiding getting the sticky cement mixture on his pristine uniform. They nodded. "Need anything? A break or whatever? You'll be done soon, anyway." Katrina hesitated, looking to Gale.

"Um…yeah." She rubbed the back of her head lightly. "Well, Jant, to be honest I'm struggling with hunting so I might give you less game this week. Gale wants to show me how to not go back on my tracks but it's so confusing! I was wondering if you had anything I could put into the ground so I knew I'd passed there- Oh!"

"What is it, Katrina?" Gale asked, though he knew full well what she had saw in amongst the boxes of supplies.

"It's those little black cards! If we dug them into the ground, we could calculate where we were!" Katrina needed to say no more, as off Jant went to get them. She knew what they were, though, and that they could save her life in many points in the adventure that was to come. She grinned slightly and they picked up the heavy stone, placing it into the wall and cementing it over. By the time they were finished, 10 Capitol ID cards had landed at their feet. With a nod of thanks, they wiped their hands down their trousers and set off before anyone could see them.

"We need to get these stamped at the hob," Gale said, ducking behind a barrel when he saw his mother. She couldn't know where he was going, and he had told Katrina a long time ago that for the safety of his family. He didn't envy how her whole family, her father and her mother, knew about her adventures to 13 and why they happened. Now that she had just gone 17, her father did not need to accompany her beyond the fence and so often didn't, unless he was needed in 13. He wanted to teach her to be independent, and she was, but that meant he worried. Her mother did not go at all, but knew where her husband and only daughter were going and had the chance to worry about her daily. It must have been awful, Gale thought. That's why he couldn't let his mother know, because she had mouths to feed and no time to worry.

"Tell you what. You go back to my house and get a picture for these ID cards. Explain to my father what's happening, not my mother. Tell him to tell your mother later that me and you were asked by the Peacekeepers to...to transport coal to the Capitol. That we'll be paid for it, and that we're not in trouble. Tell him to send fish to your mother daily, and do some trading for bread and things as well, because they can't live solely on fish. Tell them to give my tessarae to your mother too."

"No, that's too much," Gale said, but Katrina was having none of it.

"Just do it, Gale. I'm an only child, your mother has extra mouths to feed. Trust me, my family won't miss the food much. Pack some of my stuff. You know what I need. And please don't mention any of this to my mother, only that I'm going off to train." Katrina noticed Gale grimacing, as a choosing which parent to tell was a luxury he couldn't afford, but he nodded anyway and took off in the opposite direction. She focused on the job at hand for the moment and pushed any unnecessary thoughts to the back of her mind to take on the task at hand: getting to the Hob, which wasn't a hard thing to do. It only took about three minutes from where they stood and before she knew it she was asking to borrow the silver pen Greasy Sae kept close, writing five random boys names and five random girls names on each card, printing each letter so carefully it could have easily came from the Capitol. A little bit of tree sap bought for a coin or two from another stall and she managed to stick on a picture of herself when Gale finally arrived, out of breath, carrying two small bags and two small photos. She stuck them down so that any Peacekeepers could match the false names to their faces.

"Nice to meet you, Indigo," Gale said in a Capitol accent, doing that funny smile and raised eyebrow expression they did when they were pleased. It was disgusting, really, how they were all the same, different in only the fact that they wore one of a kind clothes, but even then Katrina couldn't tell them apart, only that they all wore undesirable overrated things and she hated them.

"You too, Marko," she replied, handing him his ID. This kind of left her feeling a little sore inside, because using her father's first name wasn't the smartest idea when you may not see him for weeks, perhaps not ever again. But she couldn't think like that, and she snapped back to the present to deal with the current situation. After a quick thanks to the people at the Hob they were off again, this time towards the train station.

"Did you bring food?" Katrina asked. Gale nodded.

"I told the bakery about where I was going and they gave me bread but they didn't believe me. Your mother and father gave us some things they saved somehow. They didn't really seem deterred by the fact that we were going, although I did leave out the detail of where we were actually going. I think they think we're going to 13 to train or something like that. Mrs Everdeen gave us some herbs and stuff. I took your fishing rod, and a bow and arrow and a knife, a jacket and some trousers and shirts your mother got for me. I had to slip in while the kids were out and got a few weapons and clothes." Few was no exaggeration. Although they were both from the Seam, her father's obvious advantage in the fact that he had a business to run made sure she had a few outfits, although not many as any extra money usually went on fixing things up or buying things they needed. Gale had even fewer, but they were always pristine because his mother washed clothes to make her money. She didn't comment on this out loud.

"Good," she said as they approached the train station. A train was waiting, puffing steam slightly from the one funnel, making little noise. There were no guards about, although they were sure there would be a lot of them in and around the train. In the Capitol trains, you get a whole car to yourself, so anyone they would be picking up on the journey who had no business to know their business would not know it, thankfully. With this in mind, they climbed on to the end car and got through the door without detection. Once inside, however, they were require to show their badges and state the reason of their journey to the Capitol by two weary guards.

"Oh, my darling husband here came to see his dying cousin. Rather sad. And these clothes, oh these clothes are the real tragedy!" Gale smiled behind Katrina, because from the ridiculous Capitol accent to the insensitive comment, she had gotten just about every Capitol person he had ever seen down to a T.

"Alright," grunted a guard, pushing them inside, where the plonked down beside the window, facing each other. The car was very plain compared to most Capitol things but extravagant by Seam standards; beautiful wallpaper and soft plush seats. A few tables, a bedroom containing a bathroom, a bed and drawers stacked high with clothes. It was rather weird to think that the train also carried coal in extra cars and yet these cars were still here. They guessed it was for the guards and Peacekeepers, who may or may not be required to increase the numbers coming to and from 12.

The train was leaving in ten minutes, which meant the guards would leave after a short while. The petty small talk they made only just accounted for them, because the guards were suspicious. But they were thinking about their next moves, and that wasn't easy.

When the train had finally left the station and they were off at 200 miles an hour but could barely feel a thing, the guards were gone and Gale and Katrina finally had time to talk. Katrina laid out the remaining 8 Capitol ID cards on the table so they could count the number of people who needed one.

"First things first," she said. "We don't get off at any district until we get to 7." Gale nodded.

"We're collecting Johanna Mason there, right?" She nodded.

"I've basically tried to remember all the rebels I can think of. Johanna from 7. Make sure she brings her axe." They both smiled slightly at this. "We need Finnick from 4, and we're going to pick up Annie from 2. She was there seeing family or something, I'm not sure." Gale groaned.

"Mad Annie?" Katrina gave him a sharp kick.

"She's not mad. She's lovely. She just…well she doesn't really pay attention to the world sometimes. But that's okay, because she has Finnick to keep her right. And he has her. We're not leaving District Four without her." Katrina could remember the brief meeting she had with Annie a few years back. Her father had known all about the rebels – and about District 13, for that matter – but said absolutely nothing. He had came and went beyond the fence as he pleased, making his way to District 13 and returning back. One day Katrina followed him and she had to be let in on the secret. The same day, when she exploring 13, she had met a girl a few years older than herself. She recognised her. A victor.

"_Hello," she had said lightly, but the girl never looked around. She covered her ears and scrunched up her eyes tight. Katrina was a little taken aback by this, but she had dealt with lots of kids doing this whenever there was a boom from the mines, or a gunshot of the peacekeepers. She bent down and held her hands tightly._

"_It's alright. You're in District 13. You're sitting in a room. I'm here. My name's Katrina . My father comes here. He must know you…you're…you're Annie," she finished, and the girl's hands came away from her ears. "There, there. Look, it's just me, just Katrina, remember?" Annie nodded, and slowly returned to standing._

"_Hello," Annie said, as if nothing had happened. "Why are you here? I'm waiting for Finnick." Katrina racked her brains for an explanation. _

"_Uh…yeah, me too, waiting for Finnick." Annie had narrowed her eyes then. "He's, umm…your friend, right? From District 4." She didn't want to say 'mentor', because clearly Annie had been affected by the games in some way._

"_That's the one!" Annie had replied, smiling, leading Katrina to seat as if she had known her for years. "Come on, let's wait for him over here." They sat and talked until Finnick came, looking just as magnificent as Katrina had remembered, when she and her family had sat and watched his Hunger Games, huddling around the TV screen at age 8. He came in slowly, smiling at Annie and sat between the both of them, eyeing Katrina suspiciously. But Annie, who seemed a little distracted sometimes but not entirely out of it, didn't seem deterred. She told him all the events of the day, going through each thing in such detail that when she was finished she felt a little bit out of breath._

"_I'm just gonna go outside, okay Annie? I need a drink. Do you want one?" Finnick asked. She nodded, holding on to Katrina. "No, wait. She needs to go outside too. I don't know what drink she wants, and besides, I'm going to bring her back to her command room. She's one of our friends, remember? Just wait here." Annie seemed happy with this answer and went back to tapping a rhythm out on the table. Katrina was unhappy with Finnick's obvious suspicion. She was just a girl. How on earth could she be of a threat to him? She wasn't a naive 12 year old. She knew about the rebels, but not about this place until a few hours ago. It didn't seem to matter to anyone that she was still a child. She skipped out of the room, slamming the door quite evidently before Finnick could slip out. She walked down the hall as if nothing had happened, but his voice called after her, and he sounded so steely that she stopped._

_"Yes?" she asked, not bothering to turn around and look him in the eye._

_"I know you. You're familiar. Well, not you yourself. But you look like someone I know, but I can't think of who," he said simply. "Why were you with Annie?"_

_"Got lost." She could hear his heavy boots padding against the floor, and she turned slowly to face him. He didn't look as if he was angry with her, but he was certainly weary. Since she had last seen him on the Victory Tour, he had aged considerably. Adolescence had served him well, because now he was a handsome, strong man, a far cry from the still charming, but very small 14 year old boy who was not a child, but not yet a man. She couldn't help notice his sea green eyes, a distinctive tell tale that he was from 4. She did not have the same Seam eyes like the people in her district did, so she always found it interesting when she could identify someone to their district. Her mother was from the Seam but not her father, and she inherited his blue eyes and bright hair, although hers was slightly darker, a chestnut colour, like her mother, whose hair was also very dark. After staring each other out for a while, Finnick finally spoke up._

"_Did you…did you say anything to her about…" He trailed off, as if he couldn't bear to say it._

"_The Games?" She asked hesitantly. He nodded. "No. She seems a little...uneasy about them, so I just told her I was waiting for you and I was her friend. And she told me about how she likes to fish." A flicker of a smile came across Finnick's face._

"_Yeah…she loves fishing," he said quietly. "But...why are you here? You couldn't be older than 12."_

"_I'm looking for my father," she said._

"_Who?" Katrina seemed taken aback by this. Why was he questioning her?_

"_He's from District 12, his name's Marko, he's-" Finnick raised a hand, and she felt like smacking him. Why was he acting as if he had some sort of authority over her? It then dawned on her that he was basically an adult now, and to be honest, she did just look like a little kid running around District 13 unsupervised._

"_I know who he is," he said rather bluntly, then sighed. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't be mad at you, because you calmed Annie down for me. Not many people can do that. But your father specifically ordered you didn't find out about this place, and…well, now you have. I knew I knew your face from somewhere. You look as if he just spat you out of his mouth." He laughed at his joke, and Katrina gave an uneasy giggle, not sure what to say._

"_Will my father be angry?" finally she asked as he led her back where she came, through some doors and past a lot of guards who gave Finnick nods and her disapproving looks._

"_He knew you would find out someday," he said dismissively._

"_But not today," she replied with a grimace. She didn't have time to think about this, though, because in no time she was being gently pushed through grey doubledoors into a room where a few men sat around a table, and there at the top, her father sat, looking up to scold the guard who had entered to stay out during their meetings but instead meeting blue eyes. Katrina watched his expression go from surprised to worried and then finally, he smiled._

"_So you found me out, huh?" he asked with a laugh. She ran to him, throwing her arms around him and laughing too. The other men didn't seem too worried about this, and simply watched the exchange._

"_Yeah, I did, but I didn't mean to."_

"_I know, sweetheart. I'm not mad," her father said gently. "Now, I do owe you a very large explanation. You know what this place is, right?" She sat down on the seat beside him and nodded._

"_District 13, right?" He nodded and smiled again. "Is this where the rebels come? Are you a rebel, father? Why did they lie about 13 being destroyed? Why are there victors here? Does mother know about this? Is there anyone else from district 12 involved?"_

"_Slow down!" her father said, and he let out another laugh. He could brighten even the dullest situations with just a chuckle._

"_Tell me," she said impatiently._

_And so he did._

"Katrina!" She was snapped from her daydream by Gale, who had gone off to get them some tea and scones while she sat, staring out the window but not really payng attention to the scenery.

"Sorry, I was doing it again." She nibbled on the scone, too caught up in her own thoughts to even consider talking to Gale. He had a lot he wanted to tell her, but he didn't, because he knew she was thinking and that she would talk to him when she wanted.

"Sorry," she said some ten minutes later, as if they had only just resumed the conversation. "I think when we get to the Capitol we should acquire some clothes to help us fit in, then work our way to Haymitch, make a plan with him and work from there."

"Yeah," Gale said simply. There was an awkward silence for a while before he spoke up again. "Katrina, do you trust me?"

"I do," she said without hesitation. "Gale, why would you even ask that? Would I have come this far with you if I didn't?" He seemed satisfied with this answer, and sat back to enjoy his tea. She still wasn't going to let it go, though, and pressed on to him again.

"I asked you why."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I just…I just wanted to make sure, before we got to the Capitol, that you know that you can always count on me."

"Good, because I'll need some backup among those frilly corsets and sky high wigs," she retorted with a roll of her eyes, but she was smiling as she said it. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile, because to be honest seeing Gale smile back at her was the only thing that kept her from smashing this train up. She despised the Capitol's people, and although they did not choose to be born there they did not choose to help either. What they ate in a day could last Katrina for two weeks, three if she was careful. They could probably last Gale longer as he was used to hunger, which saddened her a little. She often gave him fish when the game was low or he couldn't get it sold, even if it left her a little short, because to know that he wasn't just feeding the game to his family and going hungry himself was satisfying. Yet there they were, out in District 1 and 2 and in the Capitol, the world at their fingertips and the control immensely increasing. Except it wasn't, for if it was, why on earth would she and Gale be on this train right now? Why would she be going to collect Johanna and Finnick and Annie to take them to the Capitol where they would meet Haymitch, work up a plan and then once their mission was complete, head back to District 13, where at least 10,000 rebels came and went as they pleased, with identity, from all over Panem. But not only that, but the hidden rebels in the Districts – and in the Capitol – were behind them. It was phenomenal. She hauled her bag onto her lap and sorted out the little belongings Gale had put together for her, until she found the half-broken Communicuff in the bottom.

"Why do you have that?" Gale asked. "Did Coin give it to you?" She shook her head.

"It's my father's. He broke it, so I took it and put it in here in case I needed it. He has a new one, but this one still works. I'll see who I can get in contact with." Gale stood up and slipped in beside her, watching as the Communicuff came to life and buzzed with action. Katrina went through the list of names.

"I don't think Finnick has his. Too risky, being way closer to the Capitol and with such tight security in District 4. Johanna either threw hers against something or just has it turned off," she said, laughing at the thought of Johanna hurling axes and communicuffs against trees. "Plutarch is reachable. Should I try it?" Plutarch Heavensbee was a higher up in the Capitol. He was, in fact, the one Katniss had narrowly avoided shooting an arrow at. He was also on the Rebels' side, and reported back to them. Plutarch's communicuff was on, which meant he was available for talking, but that didn't make him pleasant. Gale shrugged.

"Nothing to lose, have we?" he stated, and he had a point. She tuned into Plutarch's and it wasn't long before his troubled face showed up on the screen.

"Mar- Oh, Katrina. What a pleasant surprise. And Gale. Did you borrow your father's Communicuff?" they both shifted uncomfortably.

"It doesn't matter, Plutarch," she said dismissively. "On the contrary, we may or may not be on a train bound for the Capitol." She could heard the audible groans Plutarch was making despite his tight smile.

"Wondrous. But…I do have a question. Please answer me straight. It's just that….why, may I ask, would you to be such stupid fucking idiots?" He shouted at the last part, and Gale stifled a laugh.

"We have a theory," Katrina said flatly. "And we don't need your input, Plutarch. Just shut the hell up and listen." There was silence.

"The Nightlock Peeta and Katniss ate were not Nightlock at all. In fact, upon further inspection, we found that they were Blueholl, berries that make one fall unconscious for a period of two to three days. So, if our calculations are correct…" She closed her eyes and allowed herself to catch a breath. Gale squeezed her hand, willing her to go on.

"…Peeta and Katniss are still alive."


End file.
